UNIT 3 – MEASUREMENT – PART 1

Assignment Title Notes to Self Complete

1 The Metric System

2 The Imperial System

3 Converting Measurements
Between Systems

4 Metric and Imperial Estimation

Quiz 1

5 Perimeter

6 Circumference

7 Area

8 Surface Area

Quiz 2

Mental Math Non-calculator practice

Chapter Test Show me your stuff!

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The Metric System—The International System of Units (SI)

There are some prefixes that you need to know, and the relationship between them.
These are the prefixes from kilometre to millimetre (km to mm).

kilometre metre centimeter millimetre

km m cm mm

Referents – objects that represent approximately one unit of measurement. For example:

km: distance from school to ___________

cm: width of an adult baby finger
m: length of a pace (2 steps) for a metre
mm: thickness of a paperclip

The easiest way to convert one unit of measure to another unit of measure is to use this
conversion formula:

what I have x units I want

units I have

Example: The table is 1.55 metres high; how many centimetres is this?

Step 1: Set it up: 1.55 m x ___cm (cm is the unit I want)

m (m is the unit I have)

Step 2: Fill in the conversion information: 1.55m x 100 cm

1m

Step 3: Calculate: 1.55 x 100 ÷ 1 = 155cm

The table is 155 cm high.

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ASSIGNMENT 1 – THE METRIC SYSTEM
Part A Choose the most sensible
measure. Circle your answer. Part B Convert the following
measurements as indicated.
1. Length of a small paper clip.
31 mm 31 cm 31 m 31 km 1) 38 km to m

2. Length of a tennis racket.

68 mm 68 cm 68 m 68 km
2) 758 mm to m
3. Distance around a racetrack.
2 mm 2 cm 2 m 2 km
3) 8.5 m to mm
4. Length of a canoe
4 mm 4 cm 4 m 4 km

5. Length of a key. 4) 2460 mm to cm

54 mm 54 cm 54 m 54 km

6. Height of a woman.
160 mm 160 cm 160 m 160 km
5) 155 cm to m
7. Width of a room.
8 mm 8 cm 8 m 8 km
6) 1.6 m to km
8. Distance from Vancouver to Hope.
125 mm 125 cm 125 m 125 km

9. Length of a bowling alley.

18 mm 18 cm 18 m 18 km 7) 16.5 m to cm

10. Height of a giant redwood tree.

67 mm 67 cm 67 m 67 km
8) 2500 mm to km
11. Length of a safety pin.
26 mm 26 cm 26 m 26 km

12. Width of a desk.

75 mm 75 cm 75 m 75 km

13. Long-distance run.

10 000 cm 10 000 m 10 000 km

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Part C
1) The diameter of a loonie is about 26.5 mm. What is this
measurement in centimetres?

2) A tree house is 1.2 m high. If each step is 20 cm high, will seven steps reach the tree
house?

3) William wants to put Christmas lights along the peak and edges of his roof.

a) How many metres of lights will he need?

b) Express this length in cm.

THE IMPERIAL SYSTEM

Imperial units for length are inches, feet, yards and miles.

Referents, objects that approximate one unit of measurement, could include:

Inch (in or "): the width of an adult thumb Yard (yd): the length from the nose to the
end of the outstretched fingertip.
Foot (ft or '): the length of an adult foot
Mile (mi): the distance from school to ____

1ft = 12in
1yd = 3ft = 36in
1 mi = 1760yd = 5280 ft

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Just like converting in the metric (SI) system, the easiest way to convert one unit of
measure to another unit of measure, is to use the conversion formula:

Example 1: A wall is 72 inches wide; how many feet is this?

72 in x ___ft 72 in x 1 ft 72 x 1 ÷ 12 = 6 The wall is 6ft wide.

in 12 in

ASSIGNMENT 2 – IMPERIAL SYSTEM

Part A
To measure a length using an imperial ruler, count the whole number of inches, and then
count the number of 16th of the next inch until the mark is reached. For example, letter H
5
below is pointing at a measurement of 5 in.
16

1
th
1. State the length (to the closest 16 of an inch) for the points A to G on the ruler
below.

A B C D E F G H

1
th
2. Find the length of the objects below to the closest 16 of an inch.
a)

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b)

3) Convert the following measurements.

a) 38 ft to in e) 3000 yd to mi

b) 0.4 mi to yd f) 1000 ft to mi

c) 7.5 mi to ft g) 8 yd to in

4) Ray is building a fence around his yard using pre-made panels that are sold in 8 ft
lengths. The perimeter of the yard is 32 yd. How many fence panels should he buy?

Often Imperial Units are used in combination. These need to be converted to only one unit.
Example:
Jan might say she is 5 ft 10 in tall (feet and inches). How tall is Jan in inches only?
5ft x 12in = 60 inches 60 in + 10 in = 70 inches tall
1 ft

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How tall is Jan in feet only? 10 in x 1 ft = 0.83 feet 0.83 ft + 5 ft = 5.83 feet tall
12in
Part B
5) Convert the following measurements.
a) 7 yd 2 ft to ft b) 3 yd 1 ft to in

c) 9 yd 11 ft to ft d) 5 mi 16 yd 2 ft to in

6) The Olympic Marathon is a running race that is 26 miles 385 yards long. If Sebastian’s
stride is about 1 yard long, how many strides will he take in a marathon run?

7) If each board in a fence is 6 inches wide, how many boards will Josée need to fence all
4 sides of a playground that is 60 ft wide by 125 feet long?

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Imperial measurements are also stated in fraction form. These types of measurement
can be converted to feet and inches. For example:

A staircase has eight steps that are 7 ¼ inches high. What is this height in feet and inches?

Convert 7 ¼ in to 7.25 in (1÷ 4 = 0.25)

8 stairs x 7.25in = 58 inches

58 in x 1 ft = 4.833ft Now change 0.83ft to inches: 0.833ft x 12in = 10inches

12in 1ft

The staircase would be 4ft 10in high.

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Part C
11) Convert the following measurements.

a) 6 ¼ yd to ft c) 2 ¾ mi to ft

b) ¼ ft to in d) ¾ mi to yd

CONVERTING MEASUREMENTS BETWEEN SYSTEMS

1 inch ≈ 2.54 centimetres

1 foot ≈ 0.3048 metres
1 yard ≈ 0.9144 metres
1 mile ≈ 1.609 kilometres

Example 1: 24 ft = _______ m 24ft x 0.3048 m = 7.32m

1 ft

Example 2: Andrea’s height is 5’8”. What is her height in centimetres?

First state Andrea’s height in then, 68in x 2.54cm = 172.72 or 173 cm

inches only (or feet only). 1 in
5’ × 12 = 60” + 8” = 68”

ASSIGNMENT 3 – CONVERTING MEASUREMENTS BETWEEN SYSTEMS

1) Convert the following measurements.
a) 8 in to cm b) 9.5 mi to km

c) 25 yd to m d) 67 ft to m

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2) Mount Logan is Canada’s highest mountain. It measures 19 551 ft. What is that height
in metres?

3) The Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver is 173 m across and 70 m above
the river. What are these distances in feet?

4) Jiri’s boat and trailer is 20 ft 6 in. long. His garage is 6.2 m long. Will the boat and trailer
fit in his garage?

5) Charlie drove from Calgary to Saskatoon. If this distance is 620 km, how far is this in
miles?

6) An airline has size limits for checked baggage. The length, width and height of all
luggage must add up to no more than 157 cm. Will the airline accept a suitcase that
measures 17 in. by 26 in. by 14 in.?

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7) A plumber cuts a 6m pipe into 15 equal size pieces. Calculate the length of each piece,
in centimetres.

ASSIGNMENT 4 – METRIC AND IMPERIAL ESTIMATION

1. Complete the following chart by writing the appropriate units for each measurement.
Choose from the following:
metric – mm cm, m, km

imperial – in., ft., mi. (yds are used in football and golf!)

Item Metric Imperial

Length of a city bus
Length of a $20 bill
Height of a 1-story building
Width of your pencil
Size of your big screen TV

PERIMETER
The distance around any geometric shape is known as the perimeter. To calculate the
perimeter, simply add the lengths of all the sides together. Perimeter is always in linear
units: cm, in, ft, m, etc.

4m 5m

6m 6m

4m

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The perimeter of this figure is:
P = 4 + 5 + 6 + 4 + 6 = 25 m
ASSIGNMENT 5 – PERIMETER
Calculate the perimeter of the following figures. Show your work and include the proper
units in your answer.

1a)
18.3 cm

8.5 cm

b)

CIRCUMFERENCE
The perimeter of a circle has a special name and formula as it is
impossible to “measure” a circle’s sides! The special name for
perimeter of a circle is the circumference.

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The formula for circumference of a circle is:

C = 2πr OR C = πd where r = radius of a circle

d = diameter of a circle
π = pi, a constant found on your calculator.
It has a value of approximately 3.14159

The diameter is twice the size of the radius, or

the radius is half the size of the diameter. In this
circle, the diameter d = 14 m so the radius = 7 m.

d = 14 m

r=7m Thus the circumference calculation is:

C = 2πr OR C = πd
C=2xπx7 C = π x 14
C = 43.98 m C = 43.98 m

Use the π button on your calculator. If you have

difficulty finding it, please ask your teacher.

ASSIGNMENT 6 – CIRCUMFERENCE
Use the π button on your calculator. Include the proper units in your answer. Round each
answer to one decimal place. SHOW YOUR WORK! Question 5 guides your thoughts.
tunnel
5) Simon works for Surrey Water Department. He is ordering the liner for
a new overflow tunnel at the pumping station. The tunnel is shown to the right.
a) What is the radius of the tunnel? 24 ft

Radius = diameter ÷ 2
= _______ ft ÷ 2
= _______ ft
b) What is the circumference of the tunnel?
Circumference = 2 × π × radius Circumference = π × diameter
= 2 × π × _________ ft = π × _________ ft

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 = ____________ ft = _________ ft
The circumference of the tunnel liner should be _______________ ft.

6) A circular fountain has a radius of 10.6 m. What is its circumference?

7) Michelle is a cake decorator. Her icing bag holds enough icing to make 22 cm
a line 4.6 m long. She wants to draw circles around the top edges on some
cakes like seen here.
a) What is the circumference of this cake?

b) How many whole cakes like this one can Michelle draw these circles on with one full
icing bag?

AREA
In geometry, area refers to the measure of a region. It is ALWAYS in square units – cm 2,
in2, m2, etc. The area of a geometric figure is the number of square units needed to cover
the interior of that figure. The following formulas are used to find area. These formulas are
provided for you on a sheet similar to the one at the end of this booklet for the provincial
exam.
In equations, the symbol for area is a capital a  A.

Rectangle: Area is the length (or base) times the width (or height). Both terms are used
depending on author.

A=l×w or A= b × h
Example:
A=l×w
= 15 × 6
= 90 m2 6m

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 15 m

Square:
In a square, all the sides have the same length. So the area is the side times side, or side
squared.

A=s×s or A= s2

Example:
A= s2
=7×7 7 cm
= 49 cm2

7 cm
Triangle:
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A= 2 (b × h) which means A= b × h ÷ 2

Example:
A= b × h ÷ 2
=6×9÷2
= 27 cm2

9 cm

6 cm

These are other shapes of triangles that still follow this formula.

5 cm

5 in
4 cm

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 9 in
Circle:
In a circle, there are no “sides”. So the area is calculated using the length of the radius in
the following formula. Remember, the radius goes from the centre of the circle to touch the
circle at any place. Use the π button on your calculator.

A = πr2 which means A = π × r × r

Example:
A = πr2
=π×6×6
= 113.10 cm2
r = 6 cm

r=d÷2
= 18 ÷ 2
= 9 in

d = 18 in
A = πr2
=π×9×9
= 254.47 in2

When completing area calculations between metric and imperial units, it is best to change
the linear dimensions to the new unit before calculating the area.

Therefore, 1 cm2 = 100 mm2

The following relationships are also true:

1 m2 = 10 000 cm2 1 yd2 = 9 ft2

1 km2 = 1 000 000 m2 1 ft2 = 144 in2

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ASSIGNMENT 7 – AREA
1) Leonard is laying grass in a yard measuring 38 ft by 20 ft. What is the yard’s area in
square yards?

2) Suzanne needs to buy grass seed for the park. The park is 150 m by 210 m. Grass
seed is sold by the square foot. How many square feet are in the park?

3) A room measures 12’8” by 10’9”.

a) What is the area of this room in square metres?

b) Carpeting costs $45.98/m2. What is the cost of the carpeting for this room?

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SURFACE AREA
The surface area of a three-dimensional object is the area of the entire outer surface.
There are specific formulas used to find the surface area of different geometric solids.
These formulas are in your Data Booklet as well as being explained here. Just as area is
expressed in square units, surface area is also ALWAYS expressed in square units; –
cm2, in2, m2, etc.

Rectangular Solid: SA = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh

Example:
SA = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
= 2×15×6 + 2×15×12 + 2×6×12 12 m
= 180 + 360 + 144
= 684 m2 6m
15 m

Cube: SA = s × s × 6

Example:
SA= 6s2
=6×7×7 7 cm
= 294 cm2
7 cm
7 cm

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Cylinder: SA = 2πrh + 2πr2

Example:
SA = 2πrh + 2πr2
=2×π×3×9+ 2×π×3×3
= 169.65 + 56.55
= 226.2 in2 r = 3 in

h = 9 in

Cone: SA = πrs + πr2

Example:
SA = πrs + πr2
=π×6×9 + π×6×6
= 169.65 + 113.10 9 cm 7cm
= 282.75 cm2

6cm

Sphere: SA = 4πr2

Example:
SA = 4πr2
=4×π×5×5
= 314.16 m2

5m

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Pyramid: SA = 2bs + b2

Example:
SA = 2bs + b2
= 2 × 12 × 9 + 12 × 12 9m
= 215 + 144
= 259 m2
= 12 m

Be careful to use the slant height of the pyramid in this formula, not the height. The height
goes from the vertex at the top to the middle of the base while the slant height of a face
goes from the vertex at the top to the middle of the bottom of one of the sides.

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ASSIGNMENT 8 – SURFACE AREA
Part A
Calculate the surface area of the figures shown below. Show all your work.

1) 5 cm

12 cm

2) 15 in

45 in.

3) 6.5 cm

4)

25 in.
20 in.
20 in.

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Part B
1) Jim is making a toy box. The box is 24 in. long, 18 in. deep and 36 in. tall.
a) Draw a labelled sketch to represent this toy box.

b) Calculate the surface area of the toy box in square inches.

2) Vicki has a new shower stall. It has an acrylic floor and a glass door. She will tile the
three walls. The dimensions of the shower stall are 35” by 35” by 8 feet tall. What is the
surface area she will be tiling?

3) Sanjiv designs a cylindrical container to hold tennis balls. Four tennis balls will fit inside,
stacked on top of each other. The tennis balls have a diameter of 3 ¼ inches each.

a) Draw a sketch to represent this container.

b) Calculate the surface area of the container.

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